AMG, the high-performance subsidiary for German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz, is poised to establish itself as a real player in the sports car industry by unveiling 17 new models and variants over the next four years.

Most noticeable of the upcoming models by AMG will be their SLC model which is slated to hit showrooms by 2014 with a roadster variant to come 18 months later. It is believed the SLC is a “baby SLS” but will still be powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine with 550 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque with an estimated price of $150,000 to $200,000.

In addition to the new models, AMG and Mercedes are working together for lightweight aluminum chassis and a new generation of powerplants for their models. The German automaker hopes to reduce the total number of platforms by sharing them across all segments. Their end goal is to have one platform for rear-wheel drive vehicles, one for compact front-wheel drive cars, and one for SUVs.

As for engines, AMG is currently working on a 2.0L, four-cylinder for the A-, CLC-, and GLC-Class models. They are hoping to squeeze out an impressive 340-hp out of the small powerplant. It is also rumored that AMG is working on a more powerful 4.0L V8, and a possible inline-six engine.

There are also rumors of an SLS successor floating around. A car that will pack plenty more carbon fiber than the current SLS AMG and will be powered by a 6.2L V8 with 650-hp. With the aid of plenty more carbon throughout the car and a new lightweight aluminum chassis, this successor could weight almost 600 lbs lighter than the current generation model. Now that would be a supercar.

And we are already well aware that AMG is working on a lightweight and Black Series variant of the SLS AMG. And upcoming is the new SL 63 AMG with a 571-hp V8, while the SL 65 AMG will see a 625-hp V12. Upcoming in the near future are AMG variants of the new S-Class and a V12-powered G-Class.

[Source: GT Spirit]

Inside Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse underground subway station, German luxury automaker Mercedes-Benz launched one of the more clever advertising campaigns we’ve seen to date. Dubbed “Key to Viano”, commuters are able to use their own vehicle keys to control the digital advertising displays.

By recognizing car key signals through a radio receiver, a new film clip starts each time a signal is received. To set everything up for the interactive campaign, 12 digital advertising displays were installed and the underground station went through an extensive overhaul that was accomplished in collaboration with WallDecaux Berlin.

Basically, each time someone pushes their remote key near one of the displays, the side door of the digital Viano opens and different kinds of passengers come out, ranging from female body builders to sumo wrestlers to robots. The goal, of course, is to show off just how much room the Viano has inside.

Taking the “interaction” up a notch, if a person triggers the chauffeur clip, they are then escorted by the Mercedes-Benz promotional team on location to a Viano waiting outside the station for an all expenses paid trip to wherever they are heading.

Watch a video of the Key to Viano campaign in action after the break.

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The vast majority of us will never get to experience a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series up close and personal, so the German luxury automaker decided to take the liberty of creating an app for fans to enjoy some media on their Apple devices.

The app showcases what makes the C63 AMG Black Series Coupe so exciting with highlights on its styling, racing atmosphere, and performance. You can browse through specs of the Black Series Coupe, download dynamic wallpapers, and even share the iPad experience with your friends on Facebook.

Hit the source after the break on your Apple device to download the app.

[Source: iTunes]

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a funky, but rugged luxury SUV from the German automaker, and it appears that it’ll be in production until at least the year 2020.

Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler has come to an agreement with Magna Steyr to extend the production of its G-Wagen in Graz, Austria and was able to get more favorable conditions along with a better price from Magna. Daimler went so far as to threaten Magna that the company would move production of the G-Class to Hungary but it appears that Magna conceded to Daimler’s wants and production will continue in Austria.

The G-Class was originally designed to be a rugged off-roader and a light military vehicle for the German Army. The plant in Graz began production of the SUV back in 1979 and is currently the longest produced Mercedes-Benz in Daimler’s history. Last year, 7,200 G-Class vehicles were made, and this year the number is set to 8,500. Mercedes hopes to hit an annual production of 10,000 for their G-Wagen.

[Source: Automobilwoche]

This may not be the most exciting news ever, but it’s definitely one of the cooler things to look forward to in the world of automotive safety. Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled their new active seat belt buckle technology that is designed for the rear passengers.

Essentially the buckles are now power-deployed and emerge from the seats when the rear passenger doors are opened. They’re then illuminated to help ease the process of finding the buckle for the seat belt. For those that have kids or ever had to buckle in kids at night, they’ll know how helpful a simple illumination of the buckle will be for them.

Once the passenger is belted in, the buckle will retract in order to reduce the slack around the pelvis and thorax area. The tech also works in conjunction with the PRE-SAFE system, automatically tensioning the belt if an accident is imminent.

The German luxury automaker announced that the new belt buckles will be offered in an upcoming model, but didn’t specify which one. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it in the next-generation S-Class, which promises to have more technology and more efficiency.

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz Active Seat Belt Buckle Technology

About two months ago we reported a collection of luxurious and exotic machines that were involved in a bizarre accident in Japan that claimed at least eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benzes, a Lamborghini, a Nissan Skyline and a Toyota Prius.

The exotic car crash occurred on the Chugoku Expressway out in the Yamaguchi Prefecture and fortunately only ten people were hospitalized with just minor injuries.

Now a video of the aftermath from that accident has surfaced and it appears that Japan is now home to at least two parking lots full of fine machines just sitting and rotting. This accident is now being dubbed “the world’s most expensive car pileup” with an estimated combined cost of $4-million in damage.

Take a closer look at the Italian carnage after the break.

[Source: Carscoop]

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We don’t even know what the final version of the newly refreshed 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG looks like and people are already talking about how the first one to hit American soil will be auctioned off later this month.

On February 25, the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance Gala in southern Florida will hold their sixth annual auction where one of the main vehicles headlining the event will be the 2013 SL63 AMG which has yet to be released. Among the other exotic cars joining the SL63 AMG on the auction floor will be the only 2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder that’s ever been treated to red livery and a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.

GALLERY: 2013 Mercedes SL Class

[Source: WorldCarFans]

The Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG is due to hit North American shores by March, and the luxury German automaker has announced that the performance-minded luxury SUV will start at a significant $95,865.

The listed MSRP includes a $875 destination charge and will net you a 5.5L V8 AMG biturbo engine with 518-hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The down side? Fuel economy of just 16-mpg.

AMG will also offer a Performance Package that will increase power to 550-hp and torque to 560 lb-ft. The standard ML63 AMG jets to 60-mph in 4.7-seconds, while the Performance Package will knock a tick off to 4.6-seconds.

The Performance Package also comes with an AMG Performance steering wheel, red brake calipers and a carbon fiber engine cover. The top speed of the vehicle is also raised to 174-mph versus the standard 155-mph.

The 5.5L is mated to a seven-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT Plus automatic transmission with several different modes of driving available to the owner. The ML63 AMG also features an air suspension system that is speed-sensitive, lowering the body at higher speeds to minimize drag while increasing stability.

Unfortunately no pricing was announced for the AMG Performance Package, but it’s a safe bet that it’ll push the ML63 AMG over the six-digit mark. Cha-ching!

GALLERY: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz has a new collection of technological innovations set to debut at the upcoming 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) starting on January 10th, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. These new innovations encompass Mercedes-Benz’s vision for the future of driving.

Starting off with their mbrace2 system, Mercedes will show off its pioneering communications platform that has now expanded to offer a complete cloud-based system. The system enables a range of features and services related to safety, information, entertainment, personal assistance and vehicle care while offering cloud-based applications, traffic and navigation assistance, speech recognition, Internet browsing and searching, concierge services, automatic crash notifications and more. Mbrace2 will be offered standard on the newly revamped 2013 SL Class and will be standard in many more models this year.

In addition to the in-vehicle mbrace2 system, Mercedes will be demo’ing the mbrace2 smartphone app which allows drivers to communicate and send information to their vehicle prior to entering it. They will also be able to find their vehicle, lock and unlock it, set valet parking protection, receive geo-fence alerts and Send2Benz which connects to other drivers socially in order to find and navigate to one another.

Mercedes will also show off their latest suite of Advanced Driver Assistance System, a comprehensive active safety system that helps prevents accidents before they happen. On hand will also be a new Mercedes-Benz C350 coupe to demonstrate their upcoming DriveStyle iPhone app. The app allows drivers to interact with the vehicle rather than the phone in order to help minimize distractions and ultimately accidents.

To celebrate 125 years of the automobile, Mercedes will also have a F125! Research Vehicle in their booth. Geared towards presenting a visionary outlook on future technical developments in the luxury car market, the research vehicle will show off innovative new ideas and future trends that will find their way into luxury cars. The emission-free vehicle has a range of 621-miles.

Lastly, Mercedes will have their Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience (DICE) simulator on display, allowing visitors to take a seat into the future and wave your hands to take control of the vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz drag cars are pretty rare. But how about a Mercedes-Benz minivan drag car?

Down in Australia, one enthusiast was determined to go big, go bold and be different, and to do so he got his hands on a Vito van and turn it into a complete drag car.

From there, it was gutted and changed into a full tube chassis race car packing plenty of carbon fiber body components and a 632-cubic inch big block Chevy powerplant. Combine that with a full drag setup suspension and wheelie bars, and you know this thing means business.

While most everyone would probably be pointing and laughing at this absurdity making its way to the Christmas tree, the ensuing massive burnout hints that this naturally aspirated (for now) Vito has more than meets the eye.

It’s already done some impressive 9-second passes and it could be entering the 8-second territory once the nitrous gets hooked up.

Check out a video of the Vito tearing up the drag strip below:

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